Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara undergoes Tommy John surgery, will miss all of 2024 season
The Miami Marlins surprised many by making the playoffs this season. A repeat trip next year just became a lot harder.
Former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara announced Friday that he underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2024 season.
— Sandy Alcantara (@sandyalcantar22) October 6, 2023
Alcantara had not pitched since Sept. 3, an eight-inning outing that lowered his ERA to 4.14. He didn't repeat the numbers that earned him Cy Young honors and a second career All-Star nod in 2022, but he still led a strong Marlins rotation with 184 2/3 innings pitched in 28 starts.
The Marlins placed Alcantara on the 15-day injured list three days after his final start with what was described as a right forearm flexor strain. He made a rehab start later that month, throwing four innings for Triple-A Jacksonville, but was later diagnosed with a UCL sprain and shut down for the season.
Friday's announcement means that his sprained UCL was in need of a full repair.
Covering the loss of Alcantara next season will be a massive challenge for the Marlins, who went 84-78 this year and had their season ended Wednesday with a two-game sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card round. Alcantara has thrown 619 innings the past three seasons, the most by any pitcher in MLB, with a 3.14 ERA and 3.44 FIP.
The Marlins still figure to have a decent rotation led by Jesús Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Eury Pérez, but there's no replacing an innings-eater such as Alcantara.
